Prepare white cake mix per the directions on the box adding the peppermint extract before beating. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of cake batter and bake according to directions. Cool 5 minutes. Melt butter. Mix sugar and candy cane in a separate small bowl. Dip cupcakes in melted butter and then in sugar/candy mixture.

September 18, 2017

Wise Apple
I was given the opportunity to try out Wise Apple ready-to-serve balanced lunches that are delivered right to your doorstop. Courtesy of Tryazon and Wise Apple, I received 12 lunches to taste. Each meal is a dietitian-approved meal and includes a main dish, fruit, veggie and a treat. Whenever possible the food is organic, hormone-free and GMO-free. You are able to choose your menu options. Some of them include, BBQ chicken tacos, pita pizza, sun butter and jelly on zucchini bread, veggie brownie, carrots and hummus, etc. They do have a flexible subscription which starts at $34.95 for 5 meals + shipping.

The samples I received included yogurt pretzels, grape tomatoes and crackers, crispy green pea fries, sliced green apples, grapes and blueberries, chicken salad, veggie chips, banana muffins, roast beef wrap and baby carrots with yogurt ranch dip, to name a few. The positives are that I thought the packaging was great. You can mix and match and take them out of their cardboard holder so it fits nicely into any size lunch box. Plus it really is convenient and the food may be healthier than what your child is eating in the school cafeteria. The negatives are that the portions aren't that big if you have a teen like I do. Also there were many of the foods that he did not like. Of course, the fruit he liked and the carrots, yogurt pretzels and roast beef wrap as well. However, the crispy green pea fries, pizza, veggie chips, green apples with ricotta and apple butter were not to his liking. Even my husband did not care for some of the selections and he likes most everything.

The good news is that if you would like to try this service, you can customize your menu. Check them out at this link.

September 17, 2017

Can you believe we're still getting peaches off our trees even though it's the middle of September? Well we had a really nice crop this year which made me very happy because peaches are my favorite fruit to eat. Between our trees and a friend's generous offer to some of the surplus from her trees, we canned and froze quite a few peaches. And now with the temperature being back in the 80s this week, what better way to cool off than to have a peach smoothie. This recipe is one my son and I really, really love. It truly tastes like a creamsicle. I also like how adaptable it is. I've tried it with raspberry yogurt as well as plain vanilla yogurt and loved them as well. I think I'll try key lime yogurt next. . . yum!

Throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth. When it comes to adding the water, I typically add a little less than 2/3 cup water because I like my smoothies a little thick so add less if you like them thicker and more if you like them thinner.

July 24, 2017

My son wanted an ice cream cake for his birthday so I came up with this easy ice cream cake recipe. It turned out really yummy and the best part was that I was able to eat it too because it contains no chocolate! Usually, I get to eat half of an ice cream cake because it typically has chocolate cookie crumbs and chocolate ice cream which is a no no for me. Of course, if you are like most people in this world, you can do a layer of chocolate ice cream and chocolate sprinkles to satisfy that chocolate craving!

I usually take the ice cream out about 1/2 hour before making this. Spread a 1" layer of ice cream in an 8" x 8" pan. Cover and freeze till firm. In medium size bowl, mix frosting a few times with spoon so it's not too stiff. Then mix in Cool Whip. Layer half of mixture on top of ice cream. Add a layer of sprinkles. Cover and freeze till firm. Then repeat layers. Like I said, so easy!!

September 20, 2016

I just had an Oodles of Fun Cupcake Party thanks to #tryazon and #oodletip! We celebrated my nephew's birthday this past weekend and I received a wonderful box of goodies filled with Sweet Creations by Good Cook. In the box were cupcake dividers, cupcake stand, cupcake corers, cupcake batter scoops, cupcake papers, cupcake boxes and oodle tip decorating bags. They even were generous enough to include a gift card to buy extra decorating products. I couldn't pass up the sprinkles!

I have to admit that I really do like the decorating bags. They are one piece bags that already have the tip on the bag. All you have to do is fill the bag, snip the tip to desired level and decorate. The tip is designed to include many shapes like a giant swirl, a star swirl, a rosette and even writing. You just snip to the level that will create these designs and away you go. It literally takes minutes to decorate your batch of cupcakes, and you can do it with one bag. The bags are twelve inches so they can hold quite a bit of frosting. The best part is that these bags are disposable so less mess to clean up! While I was using my gift card at Walmart I even saw bags that come with a shell tip. They really can take your cupcakes to the next level -- they will look professionally decorated!

As a side note, I really love the cupcake stand and cupcake boxes too. The cupcake stand folds up flat so it is easy to store and adds a nice element to a party and the boxes are adorable.

September 17, 2016

Through Tryazon and Blount Soup I was able to try their gourmet soups. I brought six samples along with me to my book club. They included Savory Harvest Bisque, Broccoli Cheddar, Ancient Grain Minestrone, Coconut Lentil, Vegetarian Chili and Tomato Bisque. Some of the comments included that they liked the texture of all the soups and that they love that it is organic. However, everyone said that they were too pricey. My store sold them for $5.99 for a 16 oz. size. They are convenient as you can microwave them right in the container and the upper rim does not get hot so it was nice to not get toasty fingers! Everyone agreed that the Tomato Bisque was not good at all. However, the Savory Harvest Bisque was a favorite followed by the Broccoli Cheddar and Coconut Lentil. Not all stores sell these products so be sure to check online to see where they are sold in your area.

April 26, 2016

I thought it might fun to test your knowledge about all the different types of flour there are. I never even knew some of these existed! Below are three groups of flours. Tell me which one in each group doesn't belong. Answers are listed below!

April 24, 2016

If you want to make sure there are no weevils or insect eggs in your flour, freeze it for 48 hours before storing. This will kill any of them already in flour.

Do not store your all-purpose flour near food or products with strong odors such as onions or soap powder. Instead store in a container with a tight fitting lid in a cool, dry dark area. If stored properly it will keep 10 - 15 months. Whole Wheat flour will keep for 3 months.

You can store your all-purpose flour in the refrigerator and it will keep 24 months.

You can freeze your flour. Repackage it in an airtight, moisture-proof container or bag and store in freezer at 0 degrees F. It will keep for several years. Whole wheat flour, on the other hand, will keep for 6 months.

April 22, 2016

that the way that flour is made is by grinding and sifting grains (or other foodstuffs) especially wheat? Other examples of grains that are used to make flour include barley, rye, corn, rice and buckwheat. Other foodstuffs include cassava, soybeans, bananas, potatoes, acorns, amaranth and mesquite.

that grinding stones from Russia, Italy and the Czech Republic were found to have been embedded with starch grains which suggests that people 30,000 years ago processed roots from ferns and cattails into flour?

that in 1818 on this date that Cadwallader C. Washburn was born in Livermore, Maine (he died on May 15, 1882)? In 1866, he built a flour mill at St. Anthony Falls, Minnesota and his Washburn-Crosby Co. (forerunner of General Mills) would market Gold Medal flour. Click on this link to see a 1951 Gold Medal Flour TV commercial!

November 24, 2015

I know many of you are in the process of planning your menus for Thanksgiving (among a whole list of other things like cleaning, ironing the tablecloth, etc.!). Well, I think this dessert would be a great one to serve for this holiday meal. It's a little easier to make than a pie but with the same taste of a pie.

November 1, 2015

I just put this trail mix together this morning and thought it was a great combination. You can put more or less of the ingredients depending on your tastes. Also try it with other cereals like Chex or Honey Nut Cheerios. I just used what I had on hand.

October 11, 2015

Do you love cinnamon rolls but don't have the time, knowledge or the energy to make them yourself? Well, let me tell you about a new product from Rhodes. They now make microwaveable cinnamon rolls that take a minute to make! Just plop one on a microwaveable plate, heat on high for 60 seconds and then drizzle the cream cheese frosting on. That's it! And what's nice about this is that you can make one and save the others for another time because all the cream cheese frosting packets are individual ones. It's that easy! Plus they taste good too! I like that they are a generous size and so convenient to satisfy that sweet craving.

Note: Through Tryazon I was able to try them for free. #tryazon #rhodesbread